Picture-hanger.



No. 696,5!0. Patented Apr. I, I902.

C. I. STILL.

PICTURE HANGER.

(Application led Mar. 27, 1901.)

(No Model.)

l WITNESSES: INVENTOR m fazz,

ATTORNEY lNTTnn STnTns llnTnnT i Trier,

CHARLES IRVING STILL, OF SING SING, NEIN YORK.

PICTURE-HANGER.

SPEOFICATIGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 696,510, dated April 1, 19402. Application led March 2'7, 1901. Serial No,v 53.071. (No modeltl T all whom, it *may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES IRvINe STILL, of Sing Sing, lVestchester county, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Picture-Hangers, of Which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of devices which are used for hanging pictures and their frames or analogous devices; andn the object of my invention is to provide a device of this character which is very cheap and simple, which is adapted to carry sufficient Wire to hang any ordinary picture, which can be easily placed Vin position on the back of apicture-frame, and Which can be instantly and easily adjusted, so as to tighten or loosen the Wire, and thus regulate the height or lateral inclination of the picture. I am aware that devices of this character have been heretofore employed to take the place of the ordinary screw-eye; but many of them have been complex, expensive, and rather difficult to manipulate, While my device, as Will be seen from the description to follow, is very cheap, simple, and easy to use. Moreover, I provide means whereby the journal or support of the device is held rigidly to the frame Without the use of mechanism to any extent, so that the rotatable part may bc .turned smoothly on it.

NVith these ends in View my invention consists of certain features of construction and combinations of parts, Which Will be herein* after fully described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters and gures of reference refer to similar parts throughout the sev eral views.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of myirnproved device. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of a slightly-modified formof the device, in which the screw is independent of the core or journal.

As indicated above, this invention is intended to take the place of at least one ordinary screW-eye on a picture-frame, and it has a spool 10, which is held to turn on a central core or journal 11, this journal or core being provided at its inner end with a screw 12, by which it may be fastened to the frame, and

the core has, preferably, at its inner end a collar 13, against Which the inner end of the spool 10 bears. This is not essential; but the spool runs smoother Where the collar is provided. The inner end of the core'is roughened, as shown at 11, so that When the screw 12 is turned home the roughened part 11a Will partially embed itself in the Wood of the frame, and so the core will be held from turning. The core has also by preference a slot 14 at its outer end, in which an ordinary screw-driver can be inserted; but the device can be turned so as to force in the screw by the thumb and finger when the ratchet is in engagement, as hereinafter described.

The spool 10 carries sufficient Wire or picture-cord 15 to hang any ordinary frame, and this Wire can be made fast at its inner end by inserting it in a hole in the spool as at 16, and its outer end can be temporarily secured in a similar Way, as shown at 17.

The outer end of the spool is preferably countersunk and provided with ratchet-teeth 1S, although of course this may be made on the outer part of the spool; but it is better to have it countersunk, as illustrated. These teeth are adapted to be engaged by a pawl 19, which is preferably provided With a projecting Wing or finger-piece 19a to facilitate its manipulation, and the paWl is pivoted, as shown at 20, to the core or journal 11.

It Will be seen that when the core or journal 1l isscrewed to place the spool 10 can be turned freely thereon, being prevented from turning in one direction by the paWl19; but when the paWl is released it can be turned in either direction. Consequently if the device is screwed, say, to the left-hand side of a picture frame when facing the back of the frame the Wire 15 Will be held taut by the Weight of the frame and the pawl 19 Will be held in engagement with the ratchet-teeth 1S on the spool 10. If, now, the Wire is to be shortened, one merely turns the spool, as illustrated in Fig. 1, to the left and the paWl prevents the unwinding of the spool, and if the Wire is to be lengthened the pawl is released and the spool permitted to unwind to the necessary extent, When the pawl is again dropped into engagement With the ratchetteeth and the spool is made fast, as above.

Several minor modifications naturally sug- IOO gest themselves in a device of this characterfor instance, the core or journal l1 can be made hollow, as in Fig. 3, and a separate screw l2a can be used to fasten the core or journal to the frame.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that this device is ot the simplest 11ature, that it is absolutely positive in operation, and that it can be very easily manipulated.

It will be noticed that the device above described is very compact, has no plate to be screwed or fastened to a picture-frame, and has its ratchet connection between the core and spool wholly within the circumference of the spool, so that attachment and adjustment are therefore particularly easy.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a picturehanger, the combination with a central core or journal and means for attaching the core to the frame, of a spool revolubly mounted on said core and having a ratchet on its face, a pawl pivoted to the journal or core and adapted to engage the ratchet to lock the spool against movement in l one direction, and also to lock the spool upon the core, substantially as described.

2. In a picture-hanger, the combination with a central core provided with a roughened portion adapted to be pressed into the wood of the frame, means for securing the core to the frame, a spool revoluble on the core, a ratchet on the outer face of the spool, a pawl pivoted to the core and adapted to engage the ratchet, whereby the spool is locked against movement in one direction, and also locked upon the core, substantially as set forth.

3. In a picture-hanger, the combination with a core provided with a flange on its inner peripheral edge and having a screw integral therewith to attach it to the frame, of means for preventing the core from turning on the frame, a spool revolubly mounted on the core and seated against the ange, a ratchet in the outer face of the spool, and a pawl pivoted to the core and engaging the ratchet to lock the same against rotation in one direction and also to lock said spool upon the core, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CHARLES IRVING STILL.

Witnesses:

EDWIN T. JAMES, GEO. V. HAUF. 

